“Hour of Code”: A Case Study

Abstract:
This study investigates the delivery of the hour of code tutorials to students via an ethnographic study of college students. The college students who participated in this study were surveyed about their opinion of the hour of code tutorials. First, the students’ comments were discussed. Next, a content analysis of the offered tutorials highlights their reliance on visual programming in stylized languages with continual feedback in gaming contexts. Difficulties in delivery stem in part from the poor organization of tutorials from Code.org which makes it difficult to locate suitable tutorials. Based on the analysis of the students’ comments and the content analysis of the tutorials, the authors suggest that a deeper alignment of marketing, teaching organizations, and content providers would help sustain the type of initiative exemplified by the “hour of code.”